Medicine as Art: The Potential Role of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in Plastic Surgery

Abstract

Plastic surgery has long prided itself on being perpetually positioned at the cusp of innovation. In a field in which aesthetics, presentation, and tangibility hold such importance, keeping current with trends and developments both inside and outside of the operating room is paramount. Within society at large, it is impossible to ignore the rise of digital and virtual commodities, experiences, and interactions. To this end, a recent phenomenon garnering substantial attention is the nonfungible token. Nonfungible tokens are perhaps best thought of as a variant cryptocurrency through which an individual can assert ownership rights over a unique digital asset.1 These include but are not limited to works of art, images, media files, and even tweets.2 The “nonfungible” aspect of their nature lies in the fact that, unlike other forms of cryptocurrency or physical currency such as the U.S. dollar, a nonfungible token has no interchangeable equivalent. Nonfungible tokens afford their creators an opportunity to generate profit from created content that previously could be freely traded without any material benefit to them. Thus, the benefits of nonfungible token use include its uniqueness and secure, decentralized transaction method on the blockchain. Professionals creating content of all forms have moved quickly to capitalize on the recent nonfungible token craze, particularly as society becomes more heavily invested in the “Internet of things” and cloud-based content management. Although a discrete role for nonfungible tokens in the field of plastic surgery is yet to emerge, it is important to remain cognizant of their possible applications. Science and medicine have already begun to embrace them, with the University of California, Berkeley, generating over $50,000 by selling a nonfungible token based off Nobel Prize-winning cancer research.3 This leveraging of intellectual property to generate income is perhaps the most obvious application for the field of plastic surgery. Hard copy textbooks and journals are rapidly decreasing in popularity, whereas multimedia content such as videos, digital animations, and interactive simulators have demonstrated tremendous capacity as learning tools.4 Creating nonfungible tokens for these digital creations can protect their integrity and facilitate widespread access to such learning tools while still ensuring payment and credit for the original content creators. For example, augmented and virtual reality are becoming more heavily intwined with clinical and surgical training, providing a platform for distance learning with a more hands-on feel and experience than two-dimensional video. For both individual plastic surgeons and larger departments aiming to promote themselves and their craft, the demonstration of novel techniques or the commemoration of pioneering advances present tremendous potential for marketing and distribution in the form of nonfungible tokens. Most academic medical centers already contain homages to landmarks in surgical history in the forms of artwork or museum-like displays. Digitization and distribution as nonfungible tokens would open the door for a much wider audience to interact with and experience such content. In discussing nonfungible tokens, it is imperative to acknowledge the unique position of plastic surgery. Unlike other industries, the treatment of patients who place themselves in our care takes precedence above all else. Personal interests such as marketing and self-promotion must never interfere with this, but by maintaining a keen awareness of these potential pitfalls, plastic surgeons can continue to embrace and benefit from the ever-changing technological landscape. DISCLOSURE The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.